I,
Bradley M. Campbell, Commissioner of the New Jersey Department
of Environmental Protection (Department), pursuant to the authority
vested in me by Executive
Order No. 11, issued by Governor James E. McGreevey on March
4, 2002, by the Water Supply Management Act, N.J.S.A. 58:1A
-1 et seq., and its implementing rules, N.J.A.C. 7:19, by previously
issued Administrative Order Nos. 2002-05,
2002-07, and 2002-14,
hereby adjust the lawn watering restrictions currently in place
in New Jersey. This Administrative Order is intended to amend
and supplement previously issued Administrative Orders Nos.
2002-05, 2002-07,
and 2002-14. Administrative
Order Nos. 2002-05,
2002-07, and 2002-14
shall remain in effect.

Despite
the coordinated water management measures implemented by water
suppliers, municipalities, counties and the State, including
transfers of water and reductions in passing flows, and voluntary
water conservation efforts, water use demands remain at levels
that cannot be sustained under current conditions. Rainfall
throughout the State has been insufficient to moderate the severe
precipitation shortfall. Despite efforts by New Jersey's residents
and businesses to conserve water, the State continues to experience
a drought due to a significant long-term precipitation deficit,
compounded by below normal levels in surface and ground water
supplies. However, the current restrictions on outdoor water
use have had unintended impacts upon certain business sectors.
In order to moderate demands and be equitable to all business
sectors within the various drought regions, additional actions
are necessary at this time.

Accordingly,
based upon the powers of the Commissioner during a water emergency,
set forth in the Water Supply Allocation Rules at N.J.A.C. 7:19-10.2,
I undertake the following actions to help alleviate the severity
of the water emergency. The provisions of Administrative
Order 2002-05 that are affected by this Order are shown
in italics below.

SECTION I. Statewide Water Use Restrictions

The restrictions imposed by Administrative
Order 2002-05 upon the watering of lawns, set forth
in Section I, subsection 8; upon the watering of trees,
shrubs, and vegetable and flower gardens, set forth in
Section I, subsection 9; and upon the watering of athletic
playing fields, set forth in Section I, subsection 10,
are hereby superseded by the following:

The watering of lawns is prohibited
except in the following cases:

Lawn watering is permitted in order to
establish and maintain newly laid sod or newly seeded
grass associated with new construction (this exemption
shall not apply to seeding over existing lawn areas),
within the following limits:

The amount of water used shall be the
minimum necessary to establish and maintain the
grass;

The watering is permitted for the first
45 days, starting on the date of planting or sod
laying. Documentation of the date of seed planting
or sod laying shall be produced upon the request
of the appropriate authorities;

The watering may occur only between
2:00 A.M. and 9:00 A.M. and between 5:00 P.M.
and 8:00 P.M.; and

The watering shall not exceed 45 minutes
per area watered on any one day, except that watering
may be extended to one hour per area watered on
the day that sod is laid.

Lawn watering is permitted immediately
following application by a commercial applicator of
fertilizer, pesticide or herbicide, within the following
limits:

The amount of water used shall be the
minimum necessary to ensure the appropriate absorption
of the fertilizer, pesticide or herbicide;

The watering is permitted for 2 days
only, starting on the date that the chemical is
applied. Documentation of the date of application
shall be produced upon the request of the appropriate
authorities;

The watering may occur only between
2:00 A.M. and 9:00 A.M. and between 5:00 P.M.
and 8:00 P.M.;

The watering shall not exceed 45 minutes
per area watered on any one day; and

This exemption shall only be valid
for a single chemical application once every six
weeks.

A commercial landscaper may perform watering
authorized under A., B., or D. of this subsection,
during normal seasonal working hours outside of the
hours listed, provided that:

Watering is performed by a means designed
and operated to assure effective conservation
in accordance with 'The Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Best Management Practices for Watering Lawns.'
(Note: this document is available on the Rutgers
Cooperative Extension drought website at http://drought.rutgers.edu/landscaping);

During the initial 45 day grow-in period
a sign shall be displayed on the front lawn of
the property. The sign shall be at least two feet
wide by two feet high, with lettering large enough
to be clearly visible from the nearest road. The
sign shall read:

AUTHORIZED LIMITED WATERING OF NEW LAWN
Company Name
State Certification Number
Address
Telephone Number

A property owner may then continue
to water in accordance with A., B., or D. of this
subsection.

Documentation of the planting or application
date shall be produced upon the request of the
appropriate authorities.

Lawn watering is permitted, in accordance
with the timing limits in Section I, subsection 8A
above, if it is necessary for the revegetation of
land in order to prevent soil erosion following earth-moving
activities, provided that:

The amount of water used shall be the
minimum necessary to accomplish the revegetation;

The activity is a construction-related
project that complies with the "Soil Erosion
and Sediment Control Act" (SESCA), N.J.S.A.
4:24-39 et seq., or meets iii below;

If the project is not subject to SESCA
(i.e., a single family home or a project of less
than 5,000 square feet), the project must be covered
by a construction permit issued by the local municipal
authority;

The watering is limited to the disturbed
area; and

Documentation of the planting date
shall be produced upon the request of the appropriate
authorities.

Testing of a customer's newly installed
or newly repaired sprinkler system by a commercial
enterprise engaged in the installation or repair of
lawn irrigation systems is permitted, within the following
limits:

The amount of water used shall be the
minimum necessary to test the sprinkler system;

The test shall be limited to a maximum
of ten (10) minutes per sprinkler zone; and

During the period of the test a sign
shall be displayed on the front lawn of the property.
The sign shall be at least two feet wide by two
feet high, with lettering large enough to be clearly
visible from the nearest road. The sign shall
read:

AUTHORIZED LIMITED TESTING OF SPRINKLER SYSTEM
Company Name
State Certification Number
Address
Telephone Number

All lawn watering authorized herein shall
use the minimum amount of water necessary.

All lawn watering authorized herein shall
be performed in such a way that no puddling or runoff
of water occurs; and

All lawn watering authorized herein shall
be performed in such a way that no impervious surfaces
are included in the area watered.

The watering of trees, shrubs, and vegetable
and flower gardens is permitted every other day on an
odd-even basis. That is, watering may occur on odd numbered
days on the side of the street with odd numbered street
addresses, and on even numbered days on the side of
the street with even numbered street addresses. For
locations without street addresses, watering may occur
on odd numbered days on streets with names starting
in "A" through "M", and watering
may occur on even numbered days on streets with names
starting in "N" through "Z". Such
watering is permitted within the following limits:

The water shall be applied with any of
the following:

A watering can;

A hand held hose that does not leak,
and is equipped with a nozzle that automatically
shuts off when released;

An alternative irrigation technology
that minimizes water use and is used with a
timer to ensure watering for no more than 2
hours per area watered. Examples of acceptable
alternative irrigation technologies are low-pressure
water delivery systems that lie directly on
or in the ground such as perforated soaker hoses,
emitters or drip tube devices;

A tree ring or tree bag (a commercially
available device placed on the ground around
a tree or plant, which is filled with a discrete
amount of water and which gradually releases
the water into the soil); or

A permanently installed sprinkler
system designed to water only trees, shrubs,
vegetable or flower gardens. If such a sprinkler
system is used no area shall be watered for
longer than 45 minutes. If the watering is done
with an installed sprinkler system that is designed
and installed to water both lawns and trees,
shrubs, and vegetable and flower gardens, the
watering shall comply with the applicable lawn
watering limits set forth in Section I, subsection
8 above.

Plants may be watered once immediately
after planting, in accordance with Ai or Aii above.

Watering under this subsection shall
occur only between 2:00 A.M. and
9:00 A.M. and between 5:00 P.M. and 8:00 P.M.

All watering authorized herein shall
use the minimum amount of water necessary.

All watering authorized herein shall
be performed in such a way that no runoff of water
occurs; and

All watering authorized herein shall
be performed in such a way that no impervious surfaces
are included in the area watered.

Watering of athletic playing fields, including
those used by professional, college/university and youth
league sports teams, as well as those owned or operated
by public and private schools and parks, is permitted
within the following limits:

Watering may occur no more frequently
than every other day, between 8:00 P.M. and 6:00
A.M.;

Watering may not exceed 45 minutes per
area watered on any one day;

No grass or dirt areas outside of the
essential playing area may be watered;

Under no circumstances shall a water
cannon be used; and

Water conservation measures shall be
instituted to the maximum extent practicable

Section II. Lawn Watering Exemptions for the Central, Northwest,
Southwest, Coastal South and Coastal North Drought Regions
See www.njdrought.org
for a list of drought regions

Section
II of Administrative
Order 2002-05 regarding the watering of lawns, vegetation
other than lawns (trees, shrubs, flower and vegetable gardens),
and athletic fields, is hereby superseded by the following:

In the Central and Coastal North Drought
Regions, lawn watering is permitted on an "odd-even"
basis. Watering may occur on odd numbered days on the
side of the street with odd numbered street addresses,
and on even numbered days on the side of the street
with even numbered street addresses. For locations without
street addresses, watering may occur on odd numbered
days on streets with names starting in "A"
through "M", and watering may occur on even
numbered days on streets with names starting in "N"
through "Z".

In the Northwest, Southwest, and Coastal
South Drought Regions, lawn watering may occur on Tuesdays
and Thursdays on the side of the street with odd numbered
street addresses and on Wednesdays and Fridays on the
side of the street with even numbered street addresses.
For locations without street addresses, watering may
occur on Tuesdays and Thursdays on streets with names
starting in "A" through "M", and
watering may occur on Wednesdays and Fridays on streets
with names starting in "N" through "Z".

Watering under this section may occur within
the following limits:

The amount of water used shall be the
minimum necessary to establish and maintain the
grass;

The watering may occur only between 2:00
A.M. and 9:00 A.M. and between 5:00 P.M. and 8:00
P.M.;

The watering shall not exceed 45 minutes
per area watered on any one day;

All watering authorized herein shall
be performed in such a way that no puddling or runoff
occurs; and

All watering authorized herein shall
be performed in such a way that no impervious surfaces
are included in the area watered.

The provisions for lawn watering in the Northwest,
Southwest and Coastal South drought regions, set forth
in 2 above, shall expire at the end of a trial period,
at the close of business on June 28, 2002, unless extended
or otherwise modified.

This Order shall take effect immediately and shall remain
in effect until superseded or terminated by my action
or by action of the Governor of the State of New Jersey.
All previous Orders issued by me shall remain in effect,
except to the extent that they conflict with this Order.
This Order amends and supplements, and is intended to
be read and implemented in conjunction with, Administrative
Order Nos. 2002-05,
2002-07 and
2002-14. All
other sections of Administrative Order Nos. 2002-05,
2002-07 and
2002-14 not
amended herewith continue in force unaltered.